The relaxation. As soon as Shabbat comes in, I relax. That feeling Friday night really gives me a taste of what rest is really all about.

Family. Friday night is the one night that we're all together, and the meal is so special because we all take our time eating!

The feeling you get after lighting candles: Whew! I made it! Now it's time for 24 hours of peace -- 24 hours where I'm the queen, ready to enjoy what I've worked for. You know, I don't even remember that I cooked the food!

We get to see so much of each other. There are no meetings, no phones, no appointments. Just us.

The nap... not the physical sleeping, but the idea of what it represents -- I don't have to go anywhere!

Sitting around the table and discussing things for hours, interrupted only by the singing.

It's a holiday!

It subtracts you from the rest of the world for one day, and gives you enough energy for at least three.

Shabbat carries the week; the week does not carry Shabbat.

I feel so much closer to community; there's a real "togetherness" about it.

I really feel I'm in another world on Shabbat. It makes me feel separate, in a very positive way, from everyday life. Not an escape in the running-away sense, just, well ... an oasis.

It's the focus of my life that leaves me completely charged.

Friday night. It's the time I feel most protected.

When Shabbat comes in, I feel an opening to something much more spiritual.

We take long, long walks on Shabbat. It gives me a feeling of control over my environment and an appreciation of our own physical resources.

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About the Author

Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio. She is the Founding Director of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings thousands of women to Israel each year from 18 different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage (www.jwrp.org). She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik, and is the busy mother of five children, ages 25 to 15.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 8

(8)
keliyah shlomo,
May 29, 2015 6:48 AM

Shabbat make me feel complete make my home secured is a mitzvah i must observe

(7)
Anonymous,
June 26, 2006 12:00 AM

enables me to realize how blessed i am

Shabbos enables me to take a step back and actually realize how blessed I am, without the fogginess of the busy week obstrtucting my view.

(6)
Shilah Anderson,
September 3, 2005 12:00 AM

A "date" with my creator

It astounds me to know that G-d wants time with me. Me ! He has all the people in the world to look after, and yet He knows my name, and He wants time with me. Every Friday night I light the candles, watch the sunset, and remember the days of Gan Eden, when He walked with our first parents "in the cool of the day". I talk to Him all week, of course, but on Shabbat somehow it's special; I am on a 24-hour date with my Creator. I bask in His attention; we both smile; without that day, I know I could not make it through the week. I sit still a lot on Shabbat, and think.. or, I 'don't think'...whatever I need. The rest of my family is not observant yet, so I pray that they'll sense the happiness & peace I feel that day and they'll want to join me. Until then, I have a day with HaShem, who knows my name.

(5)
Samantha Tucker,
January 25, 2005 12:00 AM

Shabbat

It is the most wonderful, relaxing day of the week where you can just close out the hectic world and enjoy being yourself.

(4)
Rina,
January 17, 2005 12:00 AM

This is so great!

you could really go on for hours as to why shabbat is so amazing and special. everyone is so happy and carefree. our minds are tranquilized and we embrace this inner peace which we cannot feel during the rest of the hectic week. i love how everyone enjoys eachothers company and sings in harmony because that's what it's all about!

(3)
Bill,
December 22, 2004 12:00 AM

Ah Shabbat, It saved my life

I discovered Shabbat on 4 January 1989. Today I truly believe that, had I not taken that step to observe Shabbat for just that one day, I would not be alive today. My business was killing me. Working 7 days a week with no breaks was taking a toll on me. Shabbat saved this Jews life.

(2)
Anonymous,
December 13, 2004 12:00 AM

Dressing up for the Queen

The boys in their white shirts, the girls in pretty dresses, strolling back from shul like littles princesses.

Wearing good clothes and the "real" jewelry, not to show myself off, but to honor Shabbat.

(1)
Chana Levin,
November 28, 2004 12:00 AM

The Sense of Shabbat

Years ago there was a commercial to promote the drinking of milk. It went,"The more hectic life gets, the more sense milk makes." I would like to amend that to, "The more hectic life gets, the more sense Shabbat makes." It is so true!

I was born with a neuromuscular disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy and have been confined to a wheelchair my entire life. Unfortunately my sister and I were raised without any religious instruction or guidance. My father wasn't Jewish and although my mother is, she openly claims to be an atheist. The "good news" is that both my sister and myself - independent of each other and at different times in our lives - realized that we are Jewish and chose to live a Jewish life.

Because of my disability, I'm not always able to attend services on Shabbat, but I always light candles, pray from a Siddur and read the weekly Torah portion. I would like to know whether, considering my situation, if using a computer is allowed during the Sabbath? I found the complete Bible online and since my computer is voice-activated I don't have to struggle to turn pages or continuously ask for assistance.

Thank you to everyone at Aish.com for making it possible for myself and so many others to learn about being Jewish and grow in the most important part of our lives.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Thank you so much for your encouraging words and for sharing your inspiring story.

God gives each of us a set of challenges. To those more capable of conquering difficulties, He gave bigger challenges. A challenge from God is a sign that He cares about us and has confidence in our ability to become great.

It sounds like you're doing great!

As for using the computer on Shabbat, that is prohibited. A foundation of Judaism is that we need to respect God's wishes, even if we think that doing otherwise is "for a good reason." Consider this story:

A king calls in his trusted minister and says: "I have an important mission for you to perform. Go to the neighboring kingdom and meet in the palace with their leaders. But remember one thing - under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during this meeting. Now go and do as I say."

The minister sets off on his merry way and soon arrives at the neighboring kingdom. There he heads straight for the palace where he meets with the King. In the midst of their discussion, he sees some of the king's officers pointing and laughing at him.

"Why are you laughing?" asks the visiting minister.

"Because we've never seen someone with such a pronounced hunchback as yourself," they say.

"What are you talking about? I'm not a hunchback!"

"Of course you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"We'll bet you one million dollars that you are!"

"Fine - I'll gladly take your bet."

"Okay, so take off your shirt and prove it."

At which point the minister remembers the parting words of the king... "under no circumstances must you remove your shirt during the meeting." Yet, the minister reasons, a million dollars would certainly bring added wealth to the king's coffers. I know I'm not a hunchback, so I'll surely win the bet. Of course, under these circumstances the king would approve...

The minister removes his shirt and proudly displays his perfect posture. With pride in his achievement, he holds out his hand, into which is placed a check for one million dollars.

The minister can barely contain his excitement. He quickly ends the meeting and runs back to give the wonderful news to his king. "I earned you a million dollars!" exclaims the minister. "It was easy. I only had to remove my shirt to prove that I wasn't a hunchback."

"You did what?!" shouts the king. "But I told you specifically not to remove your shirt. I trusted that you'd follow instructions, and so I bet the other king $10 million dollars that he couldn't get you to remove your shirt!"

The Torah tells us "Do not add or subtract from the mitzvahs." (Deut. 4:2) Jewish law is a precise metaphysical science. Consider a great work of art. Would you consider adding a few notes to a Bach fugue, or some brushstrokes to a Rembrandt portrait?!

Perfection, by definition, cannot be improved upon. Altering Torah law is an unacceptable implication that God is lacking.

The verse in Psalms 19:8 declares: "Torat Hashem Temimah" - the Torah of God is complete. For just as adding one wire to a transistor radio means it no longer can pick up reception, so too we mustn't tinker with Jewish law. The mitzvahs of God are perfect.

May the Almighty give you strength to continue your growth in Judaism.

In 1315, King Louis X of France called back the Jews who had been expelled a few decades earlier by King Louis IX. This marked a theme in Jewish-French life: expulsions and subsequent invitations to return. The French monarchy was trying to establish their land as the "new Jerusalem," and to fulfill this mission attempted several crusades to Israel. In 1615, King Louis XIII ordered that Christians were forbidden to speak with Jews, upon penalty of death. Eventually, in 1683, King Louis XIV expelled the Jews from the colony of Martinique.

Focus on what you do want. Make your goal explicit. “My goal is to increase my moments of joy.” This way, every single moment of joy is a successful moment.

Celebrate each moment of joy. Be grateful every time you experience joy.

Having this goal will place your attention on joy. Instead of feeling bad when you are not joyful, you will experience positive feelings about experiencing more joy.

Each moment of joy in your entire life is experienced one moment at a time. You can’t have more than one moment of joy in any given moment, but you can increase the number of joyful moments. How? By focusing on it.

There is no person on earth so righteous, who does only good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

Reading the suggestions for ridding oneself of character defects, someone might say, "These are all very helpful for someone who has character defects, but I do not see anything about myself that is defective."

In the above-cited verse, Solomon states what we should all know: no one is perfect. People who cannot easily find imperfections within themselves must have a perception so grossly distorted that they may not even be aware of major defects. By analogy, if a person cannot hear anything, it is not that the whole world has become absolutely silent, but that he or she has lost all sense of hearing and may thus not be able to hear even the loudest thunder.

In his monumental work, Duties of the Heart, Rabbeinu Bachaye quotes a wise man who told his disciples, "If you do not find defects within yourself, I am afraid you have the greatest defect of all: vanity." In other words, people who see everything from an "I am great/right" perspective will of course believe that they do no wrong.

When people can see no faults in themselves, it is generally because they feel so inadequate that the awareness of any personal defects would be devastating. Ironically, vanity is a defense against low self-esteem. If we accept ourselves as fallible human beings and also have a sense of self-worth, we can become even better than we are.

Today I shall...

be aware that if I do not find things within myself to correct, it may be because I am threatened by such discoveries.

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